Although NBA champions now, the Miami Heat knows it is no time to relax. In fact, with the bull’s eye on their backs, it is imperative that they bolster their roster for next season. And so, a number of aging but quality free agents could be headed to Biscayne Bay.
Among the free agents Miami will consider are Ray Allen, Lamar Odom, Steve Nash and Andre Miller, to name a few.
The Heat also have a first-round pick, No. 27, this week that they are expected to use on a backup big man such as Fab Melo of Syracuse, Andrew Nicholson of St. Bonaventure or Festus Ezeli of Vanderbilt depending on who might be available.
Going forward, the Heat may look to add to their wing position to make it easier to have LeBron James play more minutes at one of the front court positions. There are some veteran point guards like Nash, Miller or even Jason Kidd out there, but the Heat likely have more of a need for a shooter. Adding Nash, for example, would create incredible star power but also would require the Heat to potentially revamp their offense and lineups that they’ve spent two years figuring out.
This is why Allen could be a nice fit.
Allen had surgery almost three weeks ago to remove bone spurs in his ankle. It’s not clear what his recovery timeline is, but Allen said — within earshot of the Heat’s locker room at the end of the conference finals — that he was planning to continue his career.
According to multiple league sources, there is mutual interest between Allen and the Heat. The most the Heat can offer is a contract starting at $3 million per year, which is known as the taxpayer’s midlevel. Allen could get more money elsewhere, but the Heat offer an attractive portfolio that goes deeper than cash.
